To What Salvation Owes

Welcome to this puzzle, this everlasting mystery
One that took place not during our time, but past history
This certain poetic story revolves around questioning
It’s ambience hopefully quite interesting
To discover the culprit, or culprits should I say
A certain double-nature might lead you astray

So please like and comment, it would very much please me
That you appreciate the time I took to write this tragedy

(1) Smoke from ships swirl up
A gentleman in his automobile
Little ladies walking their pups
Complaints and trips once walk comes to kneel

(2) Inhaled on one end, bright orange on the other
Umbrella clacked on the cobblestone
Grey clouds and frigid heat out to smother
The Queen pampered upon her throne

(3) 1347 Street of Wellflower
Office, place of rest, the location
Come all to take the role of the confider
Attracted to the thought of relieviation, a solution

(4) A trained detective and gentleman, he listens
But this time, no voice was hoarse, clear, or heard
Sharp knife in hand decreeing “letter open”
Addressed to Graham Granadere, inked with black lettering, only a few words

(5) Reina Wilder, calculating blue eyes, all too capable
Her puffed white clouds ceased to breathe
One with such common occurrence, how casual
“Captain Meyer requests assistance again with a rather gruesome deed.”

(6) “Send for the carriage my fair lady.”
The matted coat, the drooped tail, luxury at its finest
A wasteful night to be interrupted by this calamity
“Meyer seemed troubled. Best to keep your wits at the ready.”

(7) Brown mud road mapped out,
Unluckiness spread across the vast field
But smooth, with a doubt
To lead through pine trees, a house revealed

(8) “Sir and madam, allow me to take your hats.”
With unusually strong legs the maid hobbled towards Wilder
Worn to the bone most likely by the distraught aristocrats
Shriveled hands Graham doubted would last a year longer

(9) “Mr. Graham, Ms. Wilder, nice of you to make it out so soon.”
“Of course Captain, such urgency could not have been kept waiting.”
In the garden, the sight basked in the rays of the afternoon
Flashes and snaps, faces pale and green, gathering evidence and praying

(10) “Poor thing, may the Lord be with her.”
“Certainly.” Hands covered in blue, only to be met with a wine red
“Poppy Swanson is her name. Time of death we concur,
Midnight of yesterday, withs lights off, and all to bed.”

(11) Guts spilled, as clean as hastiness could achieve
Left bare with the exception of a red flower and sewn black twine
One to reaffirm an identity, the other for silence, perhaps to aggrieve
Preserved was her holiness, crossed arms over chest, yet hollowed like a swine

(12) “Any other clues yet Wilder?”
“None, other than this cross is what can be seen Graham.”
“A tough puzzle it seems, to solve the question of who was the murderer?”
The overwhelming herbs among the red lined path to meet the gent and madame.

(13) “Oh, our only daughter, whittled to a pile of bones and humiliation.”
Kayleigh Swanson’s lament took to the form of wails
A woman beside her with features so similar, opened her mouth with hesitation
“Calm, dear sister. Though she is lost, God will lead them to the culprit without fail.”

(14) “First the owl, then my child, what’s more to be lost?”
The mother’s tears dripped upon Mila Kingston’s bright red attire
“Tell me detectives, to what extent do your best services cost?”
“Mr. Swanson, that shall have to wait; until the case is solved shall we begin to require.”

(15) Arrives the knight in the moment, Bailey Kingston
To lead the poor couple to closed quarters with Mrs. Kingston remaining
“My job as a doctor calls detectives. 9 p.m. is my hour off, so I shall see you then.”
“Before you go Mrs. Kingston, tell me the meaning of this cross the deceased was wearing.”

(16) A flash of silver fitted around the finger caught his attention
More so than her words of, “No, but I’m afraid it is to be held the other way.”
Graham pocketed the accessory once more, viewing her descension
With that, he determined only the gathering of evidence shall be held that day.

(17) “Shall we explore the rest of this mansion for clues?”
“No questions need be asked. Might I suggest the following of the lady?”
“Do as you shall, but remember, pursue in another’s mask and shoes.”
Now he swore he had seen this before, the event screaming familiarity.

(18) With fresh air in mind, he traversed the yard
Only a fox to be the witness, though its muzzle spoke no words
The remains shipped to that blackened house, yet to be observed, then charred
With nothing left, the puzzle strengthened, but a patient soul is undeterred.

(19) Back into the carpeted common area, sparks flying in the corner
To which attracted the cold, trench-coated body
Whose mind raced along the tracks as he reached the flames’ border
There it surfaced, or rather burned, for the eyes of one or everybody.

(20) Only the criminal can tell, but isn’t one a criminal at their choosing?
An old oak bucket to serve a purpose, the water cool among the coals
With no fear with leather-bounded hands, he began the process of recovering.
A key, be it for a door, a desk, a book. It was indeed an object with many roles.

(21) Assistance in the form of elegant etching offered something to correspond,
Led Graham up to another floor, met with a brown piece of plank.
Informed that the deceased had held property over any possessions beyond
He gave a try, but alas, the handle already turned with a clank.

(22) Emotionless, her companions lay on the bed
A bookcase placed upon the desk, no locks seen that offered protection
A stride and another, his fingers ran over books whose titles read
The Little Princess, Goodnight Mr. Bunny, and To take action.

(23) The irregular wording, or the realization of the depth of a little girl’s mind
The gold slipped through, the false cover limp against its true identity
A cheerful sunflower she was, then a dark hydrangea, now redesigned
Weighed down with despair, a beating heart among her own, a shift in her body.

(24)He is watching, he who knows me. Closeness does not guarantee my safety.But he who flaunts his wealth and his threats, often misses the fine lining.
Lining, lining, a word whose meaning can be applied to a few only.
What lies in those words lies in the book, whose lining consists of strong bindings.

(25) Exposing his skin to the unheated room, breath as vapor between his teeth
A slight bump emerged from within, inside the front of the start of woes
A film of reel, quite different, unusual, wealthy, a word of note written underneath:
“The truth of my enemy, my loving foe.”

(26) Off he rushed to the clinic of knives, a hasty goodbye to the Kingston man
As he seized a steed, its black pelt flowing like the rippling water
From a biting wind to the heat of the heart, with free-standing shops and a caravan
‘Twas not a far travel to reach his stop, ironically placed beside the holy altar.

(27) “Doctor, my good sir, allow for a peek inside Ms. Swanson.
She who may be burned too swiftly, but given a chance at hope.”
“Then you´ve arrived at the right time, moments before we have yet to begun.”
With tools so delicate and murderous, red ashes brought under the scope.

(28) “By jove, so it´s true that a single life ended was not so,
With shared bonds ripped apart before left with time to grow.”
Though where the unborn was, none could consider, besides her beau
But inside the pocket, spoke the film denying it instead as a tale of woe.

(29) Another stop to be made to watch the film, patience worn and pained
“Seat yourself Mr. Granadere. Let the pictures reveal the satisfaction to your desire.”
“Help,” mouthed the ghost girl, determined to not have died without vain
“Why are you pointing at me dear? Behind you stands the happy songs and the choir.”

(30) Would he who fathered cease his desire, his fulfillment, his fun?
Now it returned, the memory of an article authored many moons past
Which one thought in this time could not be undone
“A mother with lust on the streets, a lone daughter to be given up at last.”

(31)The notions of a new beginning, new riches, new jewelsAll for someone with a shared name, refusal would be unwise for the needyBut like all stories go, the abandoner found herself to be the foolWith flaunted parts chopped, and a reverse cross, all found the scene ghastly.

(32) “Nothing solid gathered, but noted that Mrs. Mila Kingston is strangely observant.
Her eyes focused on a brash man threatening a lady to be his concubine.”
“Good find Wilder, for I have one too. Mr. Swanson is a debaucher, which I find quite relevant.
The moon is high, this game drawn on too long. Now’s the time to draw the line.”

(33) “Seek out Mrs. Kayleigh Swanson and present with her the facts.
No matter the shock, she must know and flee with you.”
“And you Graham, from where you stand will certainly attract
One who sinned to come out of the blue.”

(34) “Fear not my comrade, my closest companion.
When push comes to shove, with which I have no doubt for,
I ask that you be no more than a full step upon a stallion.”
Ebony hair gone at God-speed, intent on ceasing Mr. Swanson’s encore.

(35) Now he lay, shadows scrawled across the dim walls
Awakened eyes closed as the door cried for oil,
Only to settle into its niche, a pitter-patter down the halls
The comfort was not to last as he sought for a plan to foil.

(36) Along the streets of London stood time,
Only to shift once the moon lost its glory
Behind a wisp of gray, whilst both traveled with prime
One with a destination, another stumbling blindly.

(37) A pause, a shadowed door looming in their view
With a quick “click,” the house gained a forbidden red guest
Not yet a moment, the emptiness was pierced, away the souls flew
A grand entrance he made, witness to her attempting to digest.

(38) “Ah, ah, ah seems as though we have been followed.”
The brash man of Reina’s tale laid bare, mouth full with his own being
And so did his mistress, chest open and hollowed
A cross over her neck for doom or well-being.

(40) “For the ring I wear shows faith, not an affair.
It’s quite safe to say only for her job has she surfaced.
Blind to the world, but I strive to bring one faithful care.
I bring salvation, a journey to the heavens, a grand service.”

(41) “But your own niece? What cruel measures to be taken.”
“A weak heart she would have succumbed by, her child following suit.
But now she has peace, free from the hands of Satan.
And her child, stored inside me, when made as a soup.”

(42) “For she deserves a vessel full of wholeness and joy,
Of which she could not have been given when left to chance.
And the story repeats with this woman he had sought to toy.
But now she is released. Among the clouds she may dance.”

(43) Red upon red, her appearance morphed
Eyes once starred now oozed with horror
Fangs coated in flesh without an ounce of remorse
Tongue dragged across lips with body lurching forward.

(44) His grasp on a most trusted handle, the sound of hope striking the floor
“I wouldn’t think about it Graham, dear, unless you yearn to burn.”
The barrel of steel pressed further, his defeat forced.
“So tell me, what means of death will leave your soul unconcerned?”

(45) And among the night, not just he was held captive
As the wife of the fox slipped through Wilder, aimed at her hated beloved
“Was I not enough to then view our daughter as an objective?
To sell into purgatory, to become corrupted?”

(46) The black-winged son of Swan
Could only stand with hands raised up
With eyes glazed in shock and no words to respond
His counterpart quick to fire were he to interrupt.

(47) Two sides, two heroes, two villains unmasked
Only two can prevail, with two to lose
So how does the story end you ask?
Well, why don’t you go ahead and choose?

Explanations (Spoilers):

Fear not my friends, for the rhyming will cease here. This section will be an explanation on what occurs in each stanza, as well as any symbols or clues that were presented. Once you have read these, try going back to the actual poem and see if the stanza becomes clearer.

Stanzas 1 and 2:

These two stanzas simply set the setting of London in the 19th century, when steamships were still in use, hence the smoke. In the poem, I wanted it to be a gloomy London day, the sun shrouded by thick, grey clouds early in the morning. Our detective, Graham Granadere makes a cameo in this scene, with an umbrella in hand and a cigarette in his mouth.

Stanza 3:

This depicts the place of work for Graham, where the office is located on 1347 Street of Wellflower. With this, people are able to visit in search for solutions in any questions or mysteries they have.

Stanza 4:

A letter is sent to the office instead of an actual person inquiring for Graham’s services this time, in which the envelope is opened by a knife.

Stanza 5:

Graham’s assistant Reina Wilder is introduced in this stanza, and although she is a lady, she indulges in a good smoke from time to time. Both see the letter as a common occurrence, especially since it came from Captain Meyer from the Yard, in which it can be inferred that he needs their help quite often.

Stanza 6:

In this stanza, the two call for a carriage to take them to the scene of the crime, and although the horse isn’t in pristine condition, it is considered a luxurious form of travel seeing he did not own an automobile. Now, the quiet night he had hoped for is gone, having been replaced by a mystery.

Stanza 7:

The second line of the stanza may confuse some, where the horse’s hoof prints resemble unluckiness since the horseshoe often has a superstition based on luck surrounding it. When faced upwards, it is lucky, but when faced downwards, it is unlucky.

Stanza 8:

This is somewhat self-explanatory, with an elderly maid offering to take the hats of both Graham and Reina.

Stanza 9:

Captain Meyer greets Graham and Reina in this scene, leading them to the back garden with other officers from the Yard attempting to take pictures of the sight, where some are sick to their stomachs and others praying.

Stanza 10:

Graham, upon seeing the sight of deceased Poppy Swanson, prays for the Lord to be with her. However, Wilder, the less emotional between the two, immediately starts gathering evidence with a blue-gloved hand, swiping at the blood splattered on the grass.

Stanza 11:

Poppy’s body is laid out bare on the grass of the backyard, with pieces of flesh surrounding her. In her hands is a red flower, a symbol to her name, Poppy, a red colorful flower. This symbolizes that Mila Kingston took the time to pay tribute to the victim.

Meanwhile, her mouth and genitalia are sewn closed with black twine, the sewn mouth representing confidentiality, while the sewn genitalia is due to her “aunt” ensuring that her assaultation will no longer be able to take place.

Lastly, her stomach was hollow, the contents inside having been dissected by her “aunt”, which included her unborn child, only to be consumed later on.

Stanza 12:

There were no other clues among Poppy’s body except that of an upside-down cross, where the meaning revolved around Saint Peter. Although “Mila” wanted to grant Poppy salvation, she knew that she did not deserve to die in the same manner as Christ seeing as she was impure.

Meanwhile, the last line describes of the herbs in the garden overtaking the red (flowers), in which it symbolizes Sage Swanson (symbol for the herbs) dominating over Poppy Swanson (symbol for the red flowers).

Stanza 13:

Here, Kayleigh Swanson is crying for the lost of her daughter, while her sister, Mila Kingston is attempting to reassure her by believing that God will find the culprit and bring them to justice.

Stanza 14:

Kayleigh Swanson describes how she had lost her pet owl before her daughter, which in this case, the owl stands for the death of her wisdom. Kayleigh was unaware of Sage’s assaults on Poppy, where the fox she adopted as her new pet stood as the “raising of the enemy” since the fox is the owl’s predator.

Stanza 15:

Bailey Kingston escorts the Swanson couple up into their room for consolation, while Mrs. Kingston prepares to head to her work as a doctor, but Graham decides to question her about the upside-down cross first.

Stanza 16:

“Mila’s” ring catches Graham’s eyes more so than her words, where one can deduce he found it unusual compared to a traditional wedding ring. In this case, it was a purity ring, where Poppy’s purity is no more. In this case, it was taken by her father, a cruel and insensitive individual, where “Mila” is a cruel murderer as well.

Stanza 17:

Wilder suggests the following of Mila to her workplace, where Graham reminds her to disguise herself first before realizing that this case seemed familiar to a past event.

Stanza 18:

The detective attempts to gather any clues that may still be left in the garden, but to no avail, where he only saw Kayleigh’s fox in its pen. Unfortunately, even if it was the witness to the murder, it wouldn’t be able to tell anyone who the culprit was.

Stanza 19:

Back in the living room, Graham is attracted to the fireplace due to the cold weather, but behind the flames, he notices something of interest.

Stanza 20:

Although the object is unknown at first, Graham quickly put out the fire and reaches into the fireplace to produce a key. However, the purpose of it is a mystery, even for him.

Stanza 21:

Along the side of the key is Poppy’s name (the elegant etching), which leads Graham up to her room, quite sure that it was her who had hidden the key and how it could correspond with any of her belongings. He first tries it as a key to her door, but it didn’t fit, with the door having been unlocked in the first place.

Stanza 22:

He comes across the stuffed animals that laid on Poppy’s bed, then noticing the bookcase above her desk. However, there aren’t any cabinets with locks that the key could fit into, which leads him to the bookcase next. There, he notices the books with the titles of: The Little Princess, Goodnight Mr. Bunny, and To take action.

Stanza 23:

Realizing how To take action did not match the titles of the other books in regards to their innocence and childish tales, Graham takes it out from its place. With that, it’s revealed to be her diary, to which the key fit perfectly into.

There, he reads Poppy’s happy entries morph into those of despair, especially when she discovered that she was pregnant.

Stanza 24:

Her entries warn that her position was caused by someone close to her, who was also in possession of wealth. Within her words, she hints at something hidden among the fine lining, where Graham figures out that the pages and words are held together by the binding of the diary.

Stanza 25:

Pulling of his glove, he drags his fingers across the leather covers of the diary, uncovering a film reel beneath the front cover with the saying “The truth of my enemy, my loving foe” written underneath it.

The italicized “wealthy” is due to the probability that film may have been expensive during the 19th century during photography having been created during that time.

Stanza 26:

With new clues and evidence, he rushes to the morgue that’s placed next to an altar on the back of a horse.

Stanzas 27 and 28:

Given permission and help by the doctor there, Poppy’s pregnancy is confirmed, but the father and the location of the unborn child are uncertain. There’s only one other thing he could turn to at that point, which is the piece of film in his pocket.

Stanza 29:

After leaving the morgue, Graham makes his way to a store specialized in photography, where he is able to watch the family video Poppy had hidden in her diary. In it, he can see her mouthing “help” and pointing to her father behind the camera, revealed by his voice.

Stanza 30:

With that, Graham questions what would have caused a father to abandon his faith, his morals, and his wife only to go after his own daughter instead.

Now, the previous case comes back into mind, one of which was gruesome enough to cause people to question whether it would happen again.

It began with a mother in prostitution who had given birth to an unwanted child through a frivolous act.

Stanza 31:

Lured by murderer by the notion of money, she was all too willing to give up her child, for refusal would mean death for her child, as well as herself.

However, she found herself to be the fool, as she was captured, with the body parts that prostitutes would show off, chopped off. Around her body, there was also an upside-down cross hung around her neck.

Stanza 32:

The scene shifts back into the Swanson’s mansion, with Reina reporting that Mila was strangely intrigued by a man harassing a prostitute in the street.

Graham reveals that Mr. Sage Swanson is a debaucher, in which he believes this whole tested game should end, already having an idea of who the culprit was.

Stanza 33:

Graham urges Reina to reveal the truth to Kayleigh Swanson who must be ushered to safety until Sage was arrested.

Reina objects to fleeing without Graham, in which the murderer is sure to come after him next if his guess was correct.

Stanza 34:

However, he assures Reina that everyone will eventually turn out fine, for he trusts that she will be right behind were something to happen to him. After that, Reina leaves to warn Kayleigh.

Stanza 35:

Left alone in the room, he pretends to be asleep, the only source of light coming from the moon outside, shadows casted on the walls. Soon after, the door to his room creaks open, only to close after, the perpetrator making their way down the hallway. Of course, Graham is close behind.

Stanza 36:

The streets of London were dark and quiet during the night, streets dim, only for the moon to guide the two along. While Mila has a destination, Graham is following blindly, unaware of where she is heading.

Stanza 37:

“Mila” finally stops in front of a small house, in which she made herself the new guest by picking the lock. Not a moment has passed before agonizing screams echoed through the night as she stabbed the man and woman that Mila had observed before.

Graham then rushes into the house, the screams spurring him into action.

Stanza 38:

“Mila” sees that Graham had been following her this whole time, while Graham notices the body of the man, castrated, partly eaten genitals in his mouth.

Meanwhile, the prostitute he had bothered earlier is deceased as well, with her heart extracted, and a reverse cross over her neck.

Stanza 39:

“Mila”, seeing Graham’s interest in her recent creations, proceeds to describe her own story, starting with how she wasn’t actually Mila Kingston.

Stanza 40:

As said earlier in the explanation for stanza 16, she explains that the ring she wears is not that of her marriage, but a purity ring instead. Again this is meant to symbolize Poppy’s purity having been taken away.

She also comments on how her counterpart, the real Mila Kingston, was blind to her surroundings, merely surfacing for her job and simply stands by as an observer. However, “Mila,” her second nature wants to bring salvation to everyone instead, where she will perform the service, no matter the extent.

Stanza 41:

Although she believes that she’s doing the right thing, Graham questions whether she may have taken it too far with her niece, to which she responds that it was the right thing to do to save her niece from both Sage and hell.

Stanza 42:

For Poppy’s unborn child, they were eaten by “Mila” as well, where she believes that it should have gone into someone full of joy compared to Poppy who had been corrupted.

She also relates this to the dead prostitute in the room, whose heart was eaten to release her from her sorrows and sent into “Mila’s” body for a chance at happiness.

Stanza 43:

Now Graham can clearly see the shift from Mila to “Mila,” where her body seemed to take on a grotesque, otherworldly form.

Stanza 44:

Graham is not able to reach for his gun in time, before “Mila” had shoved her own weapon into his stomach, threatening to pull the trigger if he did not surrender. Her last question to him is regarding his choice of death.

Stanzas 45 and 46:

The scene shifts to Kayleigh aiming a gun at Sage, where she had managed to escape from Reina. She questions where their love went wrong that caused Sage to assault Poppy.

Sage could only stand still as his wife is screaming at him, sure that any movement would result in immediate death.